October 29, 2008
Chris Caya

BUFFALO (2008-10-29) After reviewing Erie County Executive Chris Collins' proposed budget, County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz says he can not say the plan is balanced.

Poloncarz says Collins is not following General Accepted Accounting Principles and Government Accounting Standards. He says Collins omitted key expenditure data and overstated the county's cash reserves.

One of the biggest concerns raised by Poloncarz is a $5 million Medicaid payment the county is supposed to make next year to Erie County Medical Center. The comptroller says Collins knew the payment was due but did not include it in the budget.

"Obfuscating the facts and intentionally withholding material information from this office, the legislature and the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority does nothing to benefit the taxpayers and only breeds an environment of mistrust," said Poloncarz.

Collins claims the comptroller has no role to play regarding the Medicaid payment and Poloncarz is playing "gotcha politics."

"The fact is I do have verbal assurances from the leaders at ECMC that we will be able to negotiate a revenue neutral solution. I've been in these negotiations with them for several weeks and I'm highly confident that's how it will work out," said Collins.

Collins says Poloncarz is once again "running around like chicken little." The county executive says his budget proposal is balanced.

Copyright 2008 - WNED